Briefly State: Free air travel for freedom fighters: HC seeks Centre’s response

Cop,ex-cop held with Rs 10-cr heroin

JALANDHAR: Two policemen,a serving PAP head constable and a dismissed IRB constable,were arrested by the Jalandhar Police allegedly with two kg heroin worth Rs 10 crore in the international market. CIA Staff incharge Inderjit Singh said the accused,Inderjit Singh of Gharinda village near Amritsar was a head constable in the 9th Battalion of PAP while Resham Singh of Cheecha village in Amritsar,had been dismissed from the IRB after remaining absent for a long time.

RDX,arms recovered from two KZF men

NAWANSHAHR: Following the arrest of two people,allegedly part of the Ranjeet Singh Neeta-led Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF),the Nawanshahr police on Monday claimed to have recovered 2.7 kg of RDX along three detonators,two timers,three bombs,two China made pistols and 11 cartridges from the duo. Patiala Range IG Paramjit Singh Gill said,the accused — Sandeep Singh of Saifbad village in Phillaur and Sukhwinder Singh of Rohno village near Khannad — had procured the consignment in February 2010 and had concealed it at two places for the past two years.

Education official suspended

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government has placed the services of Rakesh Kumar,senior assistant working in the office of director,public instruction (DPI) under suspension with immediate effect on the charge of deriliction in duty and irresponsible behaviour.

State to provide subsidy on silage silo pits

CHANDIGARH: Punjab government will provide subsidy on the construction of silage silo pits to livestock farmers and will construct 660 such units with a subsidy of Rs 70,000 per livestock farmer. State minister for Animal Husbandry,Fishery and Dairy Development,Gulzar Singh Ranike,said the government had taken the initiative to boost dairy farming. Farmers having 20 or more cattle can apply for the subsidy.

New proforma for NOCs for passports

CHANDIGARH: To check undue delay in the process of renewal and fresh issuance of passports to government employees,the Punjab government has introduced a new proforma to obtain no objection certificate (NOC) from their departments. The directions read,“All central and state government employees,their spouses,children up to the age of 18 years are required to submit an identity certificate,as mentioned in Annexure B,at the time of applying for the passports and similarly a laid down proforma on annexture M available on the website http://www.passportindia.gov.in is also to be filled. The officer authorised to issue NOC should sign with name and stamp and must provide contact details for verification by the Passport Authority. NOC would be valid for six months from date of issue,besides this all other formalities would remain the same”.

Five of Kala Danaula gang arrested

LUDHIANA: The Sangrur police on Monday arrested five members of the Kala Danuala gang wanted in several cases of loot and snatching. Six pistols and large quantities for live cartridges have been recovered from the accused. “The gang comprises youth below the age of 30,who are all school and college dropouts. They have also committed murders for money,” said SSP (Sangrur) H S Bhullar.

SSP chief seeks central security cover

AMRITSAR: Claiming that security cover provided to him by the Punjab was withdrawn on May 2 “without any notice”,Sehajdhari Sikh Party national president Dr Paramjit Singh Ranu on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and Law Minister Salman Khurshid demanding security cover from central agencies.Citing the case spearheaded by him for voting rights of Sehajdhari Sikhs in the SGPC polls,where Punjab and Haryana High Court had quashed a Union government notification and restored voting rights of Sehajdhari Sikhs,Ranu said: “I do not have any security cover for last two weeks. I am still receiving threats,as the case is still pending before the Supreme Court.”